Advances in GMR nanowire fabrication and future applications

Advancements in quantum physics have revealed a significant phenomenon known as Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR), where variations in electrical resistance occur due to differences in magnetic fields between two ferromagnetic materials separated by a non-magnetic layer. GMR plays a crucial role in various technologies, including hard drives, magnetic sensors, and spintronic devices. This paper highlights recent developments in the fabrication of magnetic nanowires, which are one-dimensional structures characterized by high coercivity and shape anisotropy, essential for the magnetization and demagnetization capabilities of nanowire sensors. Two primary techniques for producing magnetic nanowires are physical and chemical synthesis. Physical methods, such as sputtering, pulsed laser deposition, and molecular beam epitaxy, are common, while chemical synthesis primarily employs template-assisted electrodeposition, a cost-effective electrochemical method. This work emphasizes the advantages of electrodeposition and explores the use of cobalt in magnetic nanowires, owing to its superior spin diffusion length and magnetocrystalline anisotropy, which enhance GMR properties. This presentation will focus on a method for fabricating Co/Cu nanowires with enhanced crystalline structures using a single bath electrodeposition technique. The usage of devices fabricated in this manner in industry will be discussed.